Page 83 of Raging Fires

Jake smiled faintly and leaned back. “Yeah, I seem to.”

“So what are you doing back in town? Mom told me you and Kelli got married again.”

“Yeah, sort of.” Jake waved it away. “Long story.”

“Mom said it was because that was the only way you could get the Blue Shack.”

“Well, not so long then, I guess.”

“That’s messed up.”

Jake nodded. “So what are you doing? Something with computers, I take it.”

“Yeah. We have a start-up. Developing apps. At least, we did.” Michael added bitterly.

Jake looked over at him, surprised. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s like you said… long story.”

Jake didn’t know what to say. It was obvious there was something bothering Michael. Back when they were friends, Jake would have badgered Mike until he told him what it was. But that wasn’t the kind of thing Jake could do with him anymore.

He probably ought to leave. He’d said what he had to say, and it seemed pretty clear that this was the end of it. It wasn’t like they were going to become best buds again. But he continued to sit. Michael jumped up. “I’m going to have a beer.”

“A beer?” Jake’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s not even eleven o’clock.”

“I’ve been up since three.” Michael didn’t go to the kitchen for a drink. Instead, he began to pace, walking away, then back.

“You were working on an app?” Jake felt totally lost.

“No. No. Just thinking.”

Okay. Jake decided to try another topic. “So, why are you selling the house? You aren’t leaving Phoenix, are you?”

“No. I’m not leaving. I just have to sell.” Mike’s eyes glittered, and Jake had the awful feeling those were tears in his eyes. What was he going to do if Mike started crying? He wished Kelli was here; she’d have it out of Mike in three seconds.

“Michael, you’re freaking me out here. What is going on?”

“I messed up so bad.” Michael dropped back down to the chair, his breath coming out in a large whoosh. “Mom keeps asking me why I’m selling the house and where’s Gary?”

“Who?”

“My business partner.”

“So why don’t you just tell your mother where he is? Why you’re selling the house? What’s the deal?”

“I’m too embarrassed to tell anyone how bad I messed up.” Michael paused and looked at Jake, then shrugged. “Well, I guess I couldn’t have screwed up more spectacularly than you.”

“Happy to provide my friends a low standard to live up to.”

Michael laughed, and for the first time, things felt more right. “I was such a total idiot. I didn’t pay any attention to what was going on. We had good ideas; we got some start-up capital. I was the tech guy, and Gary was the business guy.”

“Uh-oh,” Jake said. “I can guess what’s coming.”

“Exactly.” Michael nodded at him. “Gary was spending our money on all kinds of stuff for himself—cars, clothes, a boat—instead of the business.”

“A boat’s a real necessity in Arizona,” Jake commented dryly.

“Right?!? I don’t know what the guy’s problem was. How could he not realize that eventually it would all come out? Why not use it like we planned to, invest in the business, and wait for the money to come in? It would have been way more money for him. I’m that… ah, hell.” Michael slumped back into his chair. “It doesn’t matter now. He not only cleaned us out, he charged stuff on our business card and left me with a bunch of debt. I have to pay that off, and I can’t keep going with no money. And that’s why I’m selling the house.”